Metaphor of real-life assistant is the design principle behind Cortana.

Microsoft’s personal assistant, Cortana, has introduced two very useful new features for Windows 10. Both are related to task completion and schedule management.

The first feature is to-do remainders gleaned from email. This is similar to how Cortana (and Google Now) mine your email to provide travel reminders. Cortana will now offer that same kind of functionality more broadly to a wide range of to-dos in your email exchanges.

You’ll be reminded of your intention to do something expressed in email (e.g., make a dinner reservation, call someone, follow up), and you’ll be able to create a formal reminder if desired.

The second feature is calendar insights that help users become smarter or more efficient about scheduling. As the video below explains, Cortana will offer recommendations or insights based on patterns and conflicts (e.g., commute hours) to help users avoid tight scheduling, undesirable scheduling or conflicts.

The metaphor and model for Cortana is that of real-life assistant. This is the design/development principle behind Cortana’s feature roadmap. It’s different from the way Google thinks and makes decisions about content and functionality in Google Now.

About The Author

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.